Musical instrument.



110.856.9539. PATENTED JUNE 11, 1907. A. T. BOND. MUSICAL INSTRUMENT.

APPL IOATIOII FILED IAH.9, 1906.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

No. 856,939. PATENTED JUNE 11, 1907.

A. T. BOND.

MUSICAL INSTRUMENT.

APPLIOATION FILED JAN. 9, 190B.

2 SHEETS-BHEET 2.

gawewl'oz Q/Vitneooca m $4 m form therefrom. A further object of theinvention is to pro- ALFRED T. BOND, REXBURG, IDAHO.

MUSICAL INSTRUMENTu Specification of Letters Patent.

- Patented June 11, 1907.

Application filed January 9, 1906. Serial No. 295,309.

To aZZ whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALFRED THOMAS BOND, a citizen of the United Statesof America, residing at Rexburg, in the county of Fremont and State ofIdaho, have invented new and useful Improvements in Musical Instruments,of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to musical instruments of the stringed type, andhas for its objects to provide a comparativelysimple de vice of thischaracter wherein the usual eX- pe'nsively constructed wooden body isdispensed with, one wherein the vibrations of the strings will besuitably augmented in volume, and the. sound waves produced in theinstrument delivered in properly condensed vide a device of thischaracter with a simple and efficient form of sounding board forproperly multiplying the string vibrations, and one wherein the volumeof'the sound waves produced in the body of the instrument will beaugmented by the resonator through I which they are delivered.

the invention.

V with these and other objects in view,- the invention comprises thenovel features of 0011- struction and combination of parts more fullyhereinafter described.

In the accompanyingdrawings: Figure 1 is a top plan view of aninstrument embodying Fig. 2 'is a'sideelevation of the same. Fig. 3 is atransverse section taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1. Fig.4 is a detailplan view of the body portion of the instrument with the sounding boardremoved. p 1, g r

Referring to the drawings, it will be seen that the instrument comprisesa hollow body 1 provided with a forwardly projecting neck 2 havingtransverse ridges or frets 3 arranged ment being equipped with siiitablestrings 5 engaged at their rear ends with a tail piece 6 keys 7andsupported between their ends by a bridge 8. Coupled to the bottom or theand at their forward ends with string postsor body 1 and communicatingwith the interior thereof is a forwardly projecting trumpetlike horn' orresonator 9 through which the sound waves produced within the body aredelivered from the latter, the resonator being preferably in detachablethreaded engagement'with an externally-threaded coupling member ornipple 10 secured to the bottom of the body 1.

Formed in the upper wall of the body is a pair of relatively spacedopenings 11 nor mally closed by means of sounding members or diaphragms12 preferably composed of aluminium or other appropriate material andconstituting a sounding board on which the bridge 8 rests, saiddiaphragms being marginally disposed between rubber or. other elasticpacking gaskets 13 and secured in place on the body 1 by means of ametalretaining member or plate 14 in turn secured by screws or otherfastening members 15, the plate 14 being seated in a recess 16 suitablyformed therefor in the upper face of the body,

it being noted in this connection that the ter minal supports of thebridge 8 are disposed respectively upon and at the centers of thediaphragms 1-2. In practice, when the strings 5 are vibrated in theoperation of playing the instrument said vibrations are transmittedthrough the medium of the bridge 8 to the diaphragms 12, which in turnincrease or multiply the string vibrations for producing sound waveswithin the body 1, from which the sound waves are delivered through thetrumpet orresonator 9, it being observed in From the foregoing itisapparent that ,I

produce a simple device wherein the usual expensively constructed bodyor box is dispensed with, one in which the string vibrations will be-multiplied .to a maximum 1 through the medium of the d-iaphragms-forproportionately increasing the sound waves within the body of theinstrument, and one in which the sound waves produced within the body ofthe instrument are manifoldly augmented in their delivery through theresonator, it being understood that in attaining these ends minorchanges in the details herein set forth may he resorted to withoutdepart ing from the spirit of the invention.

Having thus fully described my invention, what i claim as new and desireto secure by Letters Patent is:

Ainusical instrument comprising a hollow body and a neck, said bodybeing provided with a pair of spaced openings in its upper wall andhaving its upper face depressed below the upper surface of the neck, adiaphragm arranged to cover the openings and constituting a soundingboard, said diaphragm being of a size coextensive with that of the upperface of the body, a pair of resilient packing gaskets appliedrespectively at opposite faces of the diaphragm for marginallysustaining the same, strings applied to the instrument, a bridgesupporting the strings, said bridge being arranged to straddle the spacebetween the openings with its ends resting on the diaphragmsrespectively Within the openings, a retaining plate applied to the faceof the body Within the depression and attached for holding the gasketsand diaphragm in place, and a resonator communicating with the body ofthe instrument.

In testimony whereof, I aflix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

ALFRE T. BOND.

Vfitnesses @nas. J. Green, ARTHUR PORTER, Jr.

